Potatoes are good for us

Appears in
A Passion for Potatoes
A Passion for Potatoes

By Paul Gayler

Published 2010

  • About
Contrary to popular belief, potatoes are packed with goodness. They are not fattening, although very often their accompaniments are (butter, cream, cheese, oil...). Plainly cooked potatoes contain only 87 kilocalories per 100g. Even when roasting or frying potatoes, it is possible to minimise the amount of fat they absorb by making sure the butter or oil is very hot before adding the potatoes.
Here are just some of the health benefits of potatoes:
  • They are high in starchy carbohydrate, making them a good source of energy (experts recommend we should increase our intake of starchy carbohydrate foods such as potatoes, bread, pasta and rice).
  • They are high in potassium, which helps to counteract the adverse effects of salt in our diet.
  • They contain a useful amount of vitamin C (about 10mg per 100g baked potato). The vitamin C content is highest in newly harvested potatoes and decreases during storage and prolonged cooking, or if the potatoes are left to soak in water before cooking.
  • They also contain iron and vitamins B1 (thiamin) and B2 (riboflavin).
  • They contain no cholesterol and virtually no fat and are low in sodium.